Retired now after 47 years in newspaper photography, Douglas “Dougie” Salteri worked as a photographer on three Scottish National Daily titles and latterly as Picture Editor of The Herald.

Dougie lives in the west end of Glasgow one and a half hours away from Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland, his favorite place to contemplate the world and his worries.

His knowledge of Scotland is extensive as is his constant story telling. A friend and colleague of the PTR Team, Dougie has participated in many joint workshops throughout Scotland.

Photographs Courtesy of Douglas Salteri, Copyright © 2011, All Rights Reserved

My favourite spot on the planet is Lochan na h’Achlaise on Rannoch moor, I’ve spent countless hours here in every kind of weather the heavens have sent. This one was taken on Christmas Eve 2007, I was a refugee from the frenzy of last minute shopping as I sat on a boulder getting steadily colder, my patience was rewarded as the light did this.

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My second image is from another few hours just beyond the mountains there at the River Etive as it flows into Glen Etive past Buachaille Etive Mor, it was into the late afternoon and the light at that time of day often gives the best show of the day. The midges were quite quiet this particular day and it was peace on earth untill a NATO jet thundered across the moor and vanished down into Glencoe, but it was gone in seconds and the quiet moment returned.

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I like moody light as you may have gathered and it suits the colours of Scotland’s dramatic landscape. Skye is my next image at the mouth of Loch Slapin, I was looking for something for a foreground and the pool with it’s pebbles did the trick with Bla Bheinn in the distance.

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The next day dawned as next day will and the sky was black and rain lashed, after breakfast I went along the road to Elgol and the view of the Cuillin across the loch. Grey and dark the mountains loomed out of a lowering sky and I wished I had brought some coffee to keep me interested. But as always the sky opened and some light fell on the mountains, the camera was clipped onto the waiting tripod which was set up and 10 minutes later I was having that cup of welcome coffee. Another one in the bag.

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My next image happened behind my back, I was photographing the conservation village of Culross in Fife and engrossed in trying to keep verticals vertical in a village founded 500 years ago, looking over my shoulder as I stepped backwards into the roadway I saw a dramatic sky across the river Forth. This was the scene across at the petro chemical site at Grangemouth. It looked like the end of the world.

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My final image was taken a couple of years ago on Lewis & Harris in the Western Isles of Scotland, I was on a single track road that runs between two mountains and passes a couple of lochs on a high moor. The rain storm was gathering and falling out to sea and not really heading in our direction, but we made it back to our car a couple of miles away just before all hell was let loose and you couldn’t see out of the car for 15 minutes untill the storm passed over.

It’s not always as moody and dramatic and it doesn’t always rain in Scotland, but come prepared because you can get all four seasons in the one day. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

—–

Photo Travel Review Magazine recognizes Dougie Salteri for his inspiring work and his continuing devotion to his beloved Scotland.  One can see more of his work by visiting his website.

Inspiration often comes in special moments, as Crowfoot, a Blackfoot warrior observed:

“What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.”

Our Team has watched the little shadows run across the grass on distant shores. The light we have found is shared here to encourage you to find an adventure of your own.  Much like Team Member Melanie as she considers the morning light.

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Since our first post, we have gathered articles from 40 counties and six continents from readers like you, who have found special moments and inspiration from their journeys.

We wish to thank all who have contributed their work here during 2010. We look forward to the coming year and new articles from those who share our passion for travel and adventure.  Please contact us if you have a travel adventure you wish to have published here, we are eager to share what you have found.

We wish that you find light in your life during the new year, that you have good health and prosper.

Thank you for visiting with us.

Please enjoy a slide show we have prepared from some of our images from the year 2010.  The slide show takes a while to load, so bear with us.

Our best regards,

Claire, Melanie, and Bill —   The PTR Team

Please view our photographs in the larger/original versions.  The originals are sharper and provide more detail.

By Melanie - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

By Bill - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

Getting to these areas is very difficult unless one hires a car or has personal transport provided by a friend.  If visiting from other than the United Kingdom, it is best to fly into Inverness and rent a vehicle there.  Best airports for International travel are Glasgow and Manchester, then a commuter flight to Inverness.  Avoid completely flying into London Heathrow!

The Cairngorms National Park

Why Go?

The Cairngorms National Park is the largest in Britain, covering 3,800 square kilometres of scenery. The photographer will find stark and elemental drama and pockets of beauty so entrancing that you will find it hard to put down your lens in even the most bleak of conditions.  The park offers  a vast array of choices of things to do and see.  For the travel photographer landscapes abound and there is opportunity for some wildlife photography for those who have the patience. Family members without cameras are well catered for with activities including walking, climbing, canoeing, mountain bike rides, golf, dog sled and reindeer visits. For the bleak days Aviemore and the smaller surrounding villages have a number of indoor attractions including a cinema. Visiting in the winter opens up new possibilities for the photographer and the adventurer as it generally receives the highest snowfall in Britain.

By Bill - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

How To Get There?

From Inverness take the A9 heading to Aviemore then B9152, then B970 to the park.

From Glasgow take A9 north to Aviemore then B9152, then B970 to the park.

Where To Stay?

The Cairngorms area offers a wide range of accommodations.  The PTR Team chose to rent a self-catering house which the Team highly recommends.  Large and accommodating, the house is on two levels and offers four bedrooms and three baths.  The location makes it easy to access many areas and its wide open view gives you the opportunity to inspect the sky and make your own weather forecast. Red squirrels frequently visit the garden as do, we believe, deer.

By Melanie - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

Torridon and the Torridon Mountains

Why Go?

Torridon village is on the west coast of Scotland, 100+ miles north of Fort William and 80 miles west of Inverness. Situated in an area well known to climbers, photographers, wildlife enthusiasts, hikers, and countless visitors from around the world, the surrounding mountains rise almost vertically to 3500 feet from the deep sea lochs. Far more remote than the Cairngorm area it is suited more to those who want isolation and have the ability to create their own entertainment. There is a large hotel with a popular public bar, and a youth hostel within walking distance. The village shop stocks a wide variety of products including fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products. It also doubles as a cafe with home made baking and a very good cappuccino.

As the Team approached  Bill was stunned by the Torridon Mountain range. “This place is perhaps the most beautiful area in all of Scotland,” he said.  “It puts the Isle of Skye to shame.”

By Bill - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

How To Get There?

Post Bus connects with the train from Inverness, which arrives at Achnasheen around 12PM (except Sundays and local holidays). Local Bus also meets the train which arrives at Strathcarron around 12:30PM.

For car access, follow the A896 from either Kinlochewe or Shieldaig to Loch Torridon and take the narrow road on the north side of the [sea]loch.

Where To Stay?

Torridon has limited accommodations.  Best to rent a self-catering house.  Our choice was rather spectacular with a fantastic location and a very accommodating owner.  We highly recommend Badarroch House!  With four bedrooms and two baths, a very large living area and set high above Loch Torridon, the house offers a large group the perfect haven for a travel photo holiday. Have a look inside:

By Bill - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

Places To Go For Photography

The Cairngorms and Around

Melanie first visited this area about five years ago on a dedicated photographic holiday with Wildshots ( now Northshots). Unfortunately the weather that particular week was particularly dire, but the potential was definitely there. Many times, since, it has been an area that has beckoned as the PTR team members have driven past/through the area on the A9 when the colors have turned to copper and gold.

By Melanie - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

We visited only a fraction of the area and based ourselves mainly round our ‘home base’. This is an area characterized by lochans, valleys and forests that are a delight to the eye at this particular time of year. Amongst the places we visited and would recommend were: the Rothiemurchus Estate including Loch an Eilein, Glen Feshie and Uath Lochans, Loch Morlich, the Glen More Forest Park, Loch Garten and the Highland Wildlife Park. We had a longer drive out one day to Glen Affric and made the wise decision to revisit on our onward journey to Torridon.

By Melanie - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

Torridon and Around

This is an area that needs no introduction to those who love the mountains and beaches of Western Scoltand. This vast area has an unending array of subjects for the outdoor photographer ranging from long sandy beaches to Munro high mountains, from forgotten ruins to idyllic cottages, from raging rivers to peaceful lochs. Both landscaper and wildlifer will be happy.

Again, amongst the places we visited and would recommend are: a drive along the road from Torridon village to Lower Diabaig, (several opportunities to stop and take in the delights that the drive has to offer), Sheildaig, the Applecross Peninsula, Glen Torridon (taking in the walk around Loch Clair and Loch Coulin), Loch Maree and the drive out to Redpoint past Badachro. An interesting ‘bad weather’ option was a visit to Inverewe gardens.

By Melanie - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

From Torridon the drive to Loch Clair offers spectacular scenery.  A car park off of A896 at the loch offers one the opportunity to walk the trail along the loch.  Splendid views of Beinn Eighe can be found along the way.

By Melanie - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

Likewise, the drive west from Torridon along the same route to Shieldaig is an absolute delight, offering some of the most spectacular scenery one can find in Scotland.  From Shieldaig there is a walking trail along a peninsula that extends into Loch Torridon.  A bit difficult in some places, the trek leads to some wonderful vistas of the loch and the Torridon Mountain Range.

By Bill - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

Highlights

A visit to Glen Affric in Autumn sunshine on the drive over to Torridon.

The walk around Loch an Eilein, which we did twice, for the incredible array of texture, colour, light and detail.

Coming across the Autumnwatch Land Rover and team as they were filming at Loch Garten on a beautiful sunny evening. their presence made up for the lack of cloud in the sky!

By Bill - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

Coffee and cakes whilst watching a myriad of birds at the Inshriach Alpine Nursery.

Bill’s expression of delight as we drove down Glen Torridon for the first time and picture perfect reflections of Ben Alligan and Liathach in the head of the loch.

Melanie’s joy at photographing a woodshed at Badarroch House.

By Melanie - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

Along Loch Torridon, the walk from Shieldaig to Camas Ruadh offered magnificent scenery and perfect light for the Team.  Here Melanie found both rainbows and fabulous landscapes!

By Melanie - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

Leaving the house one morning at Lower Diabaig to see the first snow of the season on the mountains.

Watching Melanie do Wildlife Photography with a wide angle lens and Lee Filters.

By Bill - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

Hearing the stags roar both day and night. Near the hamlet of Torridon, Bill found a Red Deer Stag bellowing away during rutting season.

By Bill - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

We broke the return journey and stayed in the Kings House Hotel for one night. The night before we were a little slow to see the moonrise and not quite in the best place to capture it.

By Melanie - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

The following morning we were lucky to see it before it set behind the Big Shepherd of Etive, a special and a great highlight of the trip.  Here we found two interpretations of the same location and time.

By Bill - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

By Melanie - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

Lowlights

Leaving the house near Dulnain Bridge one morning in mist and thick frost and arriving in Glen Affric to total grey!

Waiting, and waiting and waiting for the mist to lift at Loch Gamhna  only for it to lift when we were too far away to get back. We were in sore need of coffee and heated car seats!

The Bealach na Ba route into the Applecross Peninsula being closed for roadworks.

A distinct lack of dramatic sunrise/sunset opportunities – blame it on the weather.

Having the zippers malfunction on both our Lowepro Mini Trekker backpacks! (Note that both are over seven years old.)

Not packing a good heavy duty jacket — it was very cold, and we sometimes walked in hail.

Hearing that Badarroch House is For Sale

Having to leave – - -

What to Photograph in Bad Weather

Expect bad weather in Scotland.  There will be days of rain, sleet, and hail.  Many days will offer nothing more than gray skies and heavy overcast.

Some suggestions:

1.  Photograph details.  Flowers, leaves, mushrooms, textures of wood or metal, old buildings both inside and out, sea shells, rocks, water moving across a rock, etc.  The opportunities are limitless, just use your imagination and concentrate on finding details that you might walk by in good weather.  This includes finding a place to photograph inside.  Churches, museums, cafes, people (ask first), pubs, etc. Here is an example:

By Melanie - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

2.  On gray overcast days the light is often diffused and offers one the chance to capture depth and details without harsh sunlight blowing out highlights.  Here is an example photograph made on an overcast day.

By Bill - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

3.  Shoot through a car window.  You may need to adjust white balance and watch your exposures, they tend to be under.  But you can find some dramatic stuff while riding in a vehicle, don’t try it while driving.  You can shoot in the rain easily with an open car window by moving to the opposite side of the open window and using a telephoto lens. Here is an example:

By Bill - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

4. Look for rainbows.  Rain always means that a rainbow will appear, particularly in the early morning and late afternoon when the sun is less that 45 degrees in the sky.

By Melanie - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

5. Be creative.  Here Melanie moved her camera whilst using a slower shutter speed.

By Melanie - Click on Photograph for the Original Version

Our Equipment

Melanie:

Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III with 16-35mm f/2.8L II, 24-105 f/4 L and 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L lenses. Lowepro AW mini phototrekker bag, selection of Lee ND grads, polariser and Singh Ray varible ND filter. Velbon carbon fiber tripod with Manfrotto 322RC2 head.

Bill:

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EOS 7D, with 16-35mm f/2.8L II and Canon 70-300mm DO.  Polarizer Filter. Lowepro AW Mini Trekker Bag.  Gitzo carbon fiber 6x tripod with Manfrotto 484 ball head.

Resources

Maps:

Ordnance Survey maps both 1:50 000 and 1:25 000.

Use the solo maps provided by Route Buddy Atlas on your iPad.  A wonderful tool which will show your current location, allow you to add waypoints, will record your tracks, and will search maps for specific names of places.  All of Scotland is available for $42 at 1:50 000.  Maps are available for the USA as well and more are constantly being added.

Books:

Aviemore and the Cairngorms, 40 Shorter Walks by Paul and Helen Webster

Cairngorms Walks (Pathfinder Guide)

Walking Wester Ross by Mary Welsh and Christine Isherwood

Wester Ross and Lochalsh, 40 Coast and Country Walks by Paul and Helen Webster

Websites:

Cairngorms National Park Website

Torridon at Wikipedia

By Melanie

Though from the name they appear two separate islands Lewis and Harris are in fact one landmass with an artificial separation created in the past by a division in the Clan MacLeod. Lewis makes up the northern two-thirds of the island with Harris to the south.

Why Go?

A trip to the Western Isles is a little like stepping back in time, in some spots you feel you have stepped back ten years, in others twenty, and in others many, many more.

It is a land that is wild and rugged, dramatic in places from the cliffs of the north east of Lewis and the mountains of Harris to the calm serenity of the machair in spring and the peace of the long silver sands on a windless day. You will find ancient relics that are worth visiting simply for the experience of being there, though in the ever-changing light produced by the weather from the Atlantic you will want to get your camera out of its bag to capture some of the wild beauty of times past.

How To Get There

You can fly to Stornoway and pick up a hire car, or you can travel by car crossing by CalMac ferry from either Uig on Skye to Tarbert or from Ullapool to Stornoway.

My Trip

My trip here was in March 2007, staying a week on Lewis and a week on Harris. I travelled by car via the CalMac ferry from Uig to Tarbert. Driving conditions between Broadford and Uig were not the best and it was with a measure of apprehension that I arrived at a ferry terminal empty apart from two vans. We did sail, the crossing was rough but otherwise uneventful. It transpired this was the last crossing to the island for several days and by the following weekend the supply of petrol and diesel was almost non-existent. That the weather was this wild I took as being normal, even when I had some difficulty opening the door of the car because of the strength of the wind. It was not a pleasant drive from Tarbert to my first destination, Aird Uig, a rocky headland on the west coast of Lewis, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. All the way I could see images to capture if the conditions had been just a little kinder.

My self-catering accommodation, The Guard House, was cavernous with a choice of rooms to sleep in. I was a little concerned about the heating, which was powered by a coal-fired Rayburn, but was assured by the caretaker that it kept the place ‘as warm as toast.’ My concerns were not unfounded: there were the ‘epic’ trips out to get in the coal, which meant donning the warmest clothes I had with waterproofs and wellies; having to light the thing to warm up and dry out after a day out and waking up each morning in the cold even if I’d stoked it to the top before going to bed each night. There was a good selection of reading material, local information, a well equipped kitchen, a choice of bathrooms and a restaurant next door (closed as I was there out of season).

My first photographic foray was about an hour after I arrived: a short break in the cloud found me heading by foot down a track to a small bay below the house. Near disaster followed:

I was engulfed by a wave that sent the camera and myself reeling. I beat a rapid retreat, stopping briefly to dry off the camera with my microfibre towel. My heart was pounding and my hands shaking, but importantly we both survived.

After a night’s sleep interrupted by the howling wind, the next morning tried to dawn but didn’t, I was only too happy to stay in bed! My start to the week had been dramatic and in the week to follow there were some very trying conditions, but they did lead to some stunning breaks in the light. I saw some truly remarkable places and was struck by how even the most visited of spots retained  a mood of isolation.

True to form the weather broke on my last day, I took a trip up to the far north east of the island in an attempt to photograph the Butt of Lewis at the first light of day and a trip to Stornoway to stock up on supplies and fill up the tank with diesel that was just starting to be delivered after the cancelled ferry crossings in the previous days.

How different was to be my experience with Harris: calm winds, sunny skies and mountains. My accommodation here was in Stable Cottage, one of four rental properties at Borvemor Cottages a different kettle of fish to The Guard House. Now I had instant, at the touch of a button, electrical central heating but was lacking in home comforts. So not luxurious but entirely practical and functional with its own highland cow

and a delightful, dune backed beach just a two-minute stroll away across a field. Famed for its beaches Harris has more than just these to offer. Visit Undiscovered Scotland to give you a flavour of what else there is to see. I spent several pleasant days exploring and trying to capture some of its allure and charm and had to fight with a brief return of the elements for just one of my days there. Of course it was the battling with the elements that again resulted in the best light.

Personal Highlights

The light at Callainish in the break between hail showers
The light at Callainish IV (Ceann Hulavig)
Sunsets from the beach at Borvemoor
Rainbows at Huisinis
The lighthouse at Eilean Glas

Personal Lowlights

Bright blue sky, with no clouds at Eilean Glas
Keeping warm at Aird Uig
Not appreciating the distances to travel and arriving for sunrise and missing it
Not having the long lens when I spotted an eagle
Fatigue at the end of two weeks of exploring new locations.

Photography tips - based on personal experience

Read as much about your location as you can before you go, trawl the websites and look at the work of others, to give you ideas.

Check out the tide times.

Study some OS maps of the region, I would not have visited Calanais IV, if I’d not seen it on a map.

Be prepared for all the weather the Atlantic can throw at you, make sure you have some sort of protection for your camera, try Claire’s solution or if you want something more expensive try the Kata Elements Cover, don’t rely on an umbrella unless you want to emulate Mary Poppins.

For this trip I had my 5D, the 1DN MKII,  with 17-40L, 28-70L and 100-400 IS L lenses. Velbon CF tripod with grip head,  and a selection of ND grads and a polariser.I could have managed without the 1DN MKII, but I always like to have a spare body.

When the light is good

Get out, stay out and keep looking. Revisit the spots you saw in bad light and make the most of them.

When the light is bad

Get out and take some reminder shots, so you can revisit when things look better. Practice composition.
Go look for wildlife.
Have a nap you may need it.

Travel Tips - based on personal experience

Don’t underestimate travelling times on the single-track roads

When you pass a shop, ask yourself: ‘is there anything I need?’

Be prepared to make yourself conspicuous on Sunday’s, the Sabbath is strictly observed, don’t expect to find a pub/restaurant open, don’t expect to be able to buy petrol and don’t hang out your laundry!

The main supermarket is in Stornoway, though you may be surprised what some of the community stores have to offer.

Be prepared for some long daylight hours, remember how far north you are.

Sign posts are more often that not in Gaelic, you have been warned.

Will I go again?

Definitely, next time not alone. Keeping up the enthusiasm in the conditions I experienced was difficult towards the end of the two weeks. A like-minded companion is invaluable.

Recommended Reading

The Soap Man by Roger Hutchinson.   The story of Lord Leverhulme and the Islanders.

Children of the Blackhouse by Calum Ferguson

Walks in the Western Isles by Mary Welsh, another delightful walking guide from this author with illustrations by Christine Isherwood.

The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands armchair reading and practical information for those who do not want to trawl the net.

UK travellers. PTR recommendations for insurance:

Travel insurance and camera insurance.

In the days ahead the team will discuss the seminar in great detail, including thoughts about how to deal with bad weather, and impressions of new equipment recently acquired by seminar participants, including the Canon 1Ds Mark III, the Canon 5d Mark II, and the Canon 24mm II lens.  We will also review accommodations, clothing, and the perils of international travel.  We have much to report so please visit again as we outline our experiences during a photographic holiday.

Here, PTR team memer Melanie sets up for a photograph while other participants look on.

Any day in Scotland is a good day, and once in a while the light was good and gave the participants the opportunity to find a subject worth study as in this shot of a Highland Cow by Bill.

As the saying goes, it takes rain to produce rainbows.  And, seminar participants had several opportunities for catching shots of rainbows, as in this shot by Bill of a rainbow over Duart Castle, historic home of the Clan Maclean.

Please visit with us in the days ahead as we show how seminar participants found light in incredibly challenging situations with example photographs done by some of the participants.

We might even see some shots done with the Canon Powershot G9 and G10.  Like this one done of a lighthouse from a Ferry while crossing from the Isle of Mull to Oban.

Also, we might discuss how to attract a Pine Martin using peanut butter, or what it is like to sit in rain for two hours in the hopes of spotting an Otter.

What we will discuss is the wonderful opportunities one can find during a seminar through good discussions, shared advice, and encouragement of one another.

–The PTR Team